Best Samsung Blog

Post Antennagate: Samsung Strikes Back

Liam — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:31:55 +0000

Korean based Samsung has been playing nice earlier last week in regards to the discussion of the issues that Steve Jobs brought up with the iPhone 4 antenna and Apple’s allegations that other mobile handsets are also suffering from the same issue.

However, it has been recently announced that Samsung is not about to give Apple any more slack for their constant allegations that the Omnia II smart phone has a bad antenna –after all, since the Omnia II came out, no one has been complaining about dropped calls on the device and it does not need a casing to work.

Samsung has taken the fight from playing defense to offense. Originally, Samsung has come up with a pretty suggestive advertisement for the i9000 Galaxy S smart phone: the new poster shows the word “hello” with the double L’s being replaced with a signal bar graphic –apparently a mockery of the fact that Apple’s fussing so much about their signal bar. The rest of the ad contains little to no text at all, just an image of the smart phone and the Galaxy S brand name. While subtle, the ad is quite effective –particularly for anyone who is familiar with the recent news regarding Apple.

Aside from the new ad, Samsung is taking the fight directly to the market. With increasing activity on the internet –particularly, on Twitter, about the issues with the iPhone 4 antenna, the Korean manufacturer has seen it fit to offer free complementary Samsung Galaxy S smart phones to various individuals who are complaining about their Apple iPhone 4. Several folks have already received the free Android from Samsung.

The Samsung UK Facebook page also has a special promo that will raffle out free Galaxy S smart phones to any user who “likes” the page. No word until when the offer will last so anyone interested should sign up fast.

Samsung’s New AMOLED Technology to Reshape Smart Phones

Liam — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:06:25 +0000

There is no doubt that touch screen technology is shaping the way mobile phones are being made –literally. With plenty of focus now being given to devices being able to deliver better visuals and the need to conserve space, touch screen are able to combine both the functionality of display and controls in a single space on a mobile phone. This is why most smart phones look the same: a large touch screen on the front and a few supporting physical buttons below or on the sides.

Now, a new form of technology might just change the way smart phones are designed –in pretty much the same way the high end touch screens did before.

Samsung has uploaded an amazing video of the new AMOLED screen that they have developed. Now, it has to be noted that there was nothing that indicated that the display as indeed a touch sensitive screen, though it is believed that the input technology can be easily applied.

What makes the new screen from Samsung truly revolutionary is the fact that it is flexible. And by flexible, we mean that the screen can be curved and bent around. The folds are only light and curved, so we doubt that the screen can handle being folded flat in half (though it would be interesting if it could).

But flexible touch screens are not really new. We all know that prototypes are already being developed in Japan and in other countries all over the world. What makes the Samsung demo so impressive is the screen’s toughness.

Very few screens can take a blow from a hammer, and even fewer can withstand several hits. The new AMOLED screen from Samsung did just that –take several hits from a hammer and came out undamaged. The video onscreen just kept on playing as well, no quality loss was observed in the running video.

Samsung Sells 1 Million Wave Smart Phones

Liam — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:53:06 +0000

It comes as a bit of a surprise, but apparently the mobile phone industry actually has room for more operating systems. Undaunted by the same pressures that faced the First ELSE, Samsung pushed through with the development, production and launch of the Bada operating system –the proprietary OS for the Korean phone maker.

The device was first seen at the MWC last February, while we were quite astounded by the amazing quality of the super AMOLED touch screen display there is no doubt that the handset was overshadowed by the release of the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S (which shared similar hardware specs, has the Android OS and has a much larger super AMOLED display).

Samsung’s intention with the Bada OS was to introduce the smart phone to all markets. The Korean phone maker believes that every person should own a smart phone and that the Bada OS is the perfect, match for a device targeted for everyone. It’s a pretty big call to make, but Samsung has most of the elements down.

The user interface is a little plain, despite having the TouchWiz UI already activated, the Bada sticks pretty much to clean cut basics. It pretty much betrays the power of the high end Wave, but it makes the platform a great fit for slower, lower end devices.

Still, the Wave is good enough to hold its own; good enough, in fact, to sell over a million units easily. According to Samsung they were able to reach the mark just a little after the first month of sales –and for a new OS in an industry already dominated by the Android and the Apple iOS, it is quite a feat that the Wave was able to achieve.

For those who still have not purchased the Samsung Wave handset, the device is already available in various offers and tariffs.

Samsung Galaxy S – A Robust Smartphone Packed with Power Inside and Out

Liam — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:44:54 +0000

The Samsung Galaxy S i9000 has become a smartphone to contend with as it gains a lot of following in the worldwide market. Small wonder since it runs on the much sought-after Android operating system, has a 5 megapixel camera, generous amount of storage and a big capacitive touchscreen.

Powerful OS, UI and CPU

The i9000 is a robust mobile phone packed with the power of the Android v2.1 operating system and a fast ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor. The TouchWiz 3.0 User Interface provides several home screens which are highly-responsive to finger gestures and easy to navigate.

Display and user interface

Accepting one of the many Samsung Galaxy S deals provides the user a high-end display. It comes with a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen run by a mobile Digital Natural Imagine engine (mDNIe), the same technology used in Samsung’s LCD and LED televisions. The touchscreen can display up to 16 million colours and includes impressive features such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, multi-touch input system and touch-sensitive controls. It also comes with Swype text input which enables intuitive typing on the virtual QWERTY keyboard.

Pocket-friendly entertainment centre

Despite its large screen, the Samsung Galaxy S weighs a mere 118 gm and just 9.9 mm thin, making it a pleasure to hold and pocket-friendly as well. It comes in either 8 GB or 16 GB model, both of which are upgradeable up to 32 GB should the need for more storage space arise.

The i9000 is equipped with a 5 megapixel digital camera which can also function as a video cam which can record at 30 frames per second. The camera also has autofocus, touch focus, face and smile detector as well as geo-tagging features. The Samsung Galaxy S also ships with a versatile media player which can play various music and video file formats with stunning clarity.

Samsung: Limited Offers for Free NFS Shift Downloads

Simon — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:39:24 +0000

In some ways, we wanted to omit the “limited” part of the title, and that is because with 1.2 million free download slots available, there are plenty of chances for everyone to grab a copy of this impressive little mobile racing app. The offer is open to all Samsung S8500 Wave owners, and will last until all slots have been consumed. Limited or not, this is certainly a recommended download for any Bada smart phone owner who wants to experience some serious racing fun.

As any gamer would know, the Need for Speed series of racing games is considered to be the anti-thesis of the Gran Turismo series from Sony Computer Entertainment. NFS games thrive on providing the raw edge of gaming, taking players off the track and into the streets (though one NFS game did tackle closed circuit races), and NFS: Shift offers exactly that.

In terms of graphics, there is nothing that really stands out with the new game, the limited hardware on mobile phones require the polygon count to be cut down heavily and the once detailed car models that NFS is known for is absent in the game. Gone also are the 3D backgrounds –these have been replaced with large sprites that provide a similar effect, but with less of the graphic eye candy.

Gameplay however retains that same old high-speed action that the series is known for, and for this one simply factor alone players should try getting a copy of the game before all 1.2 million copies run out. NFS: Shift brings together many of the older racing control elements of the console versions with the addition of the accelerometer aided steering. While fun, it can also be quite complicated for newer players. Performing drifts around hairpin turns will take a lot of practice for many players unaccustomed to the slippery feel of tilting.

More Mobile Phones May use Super AMOLED in the Near Future

Liam — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:38:04 +0000

Apple’s Retina Display is quite impressive. It has great outdoor visibility, boasts the highest resolution and is just a superb display overall. The closest competition that the Retina Display has in the market is Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology, which offers more of the same advantages (outdoor visibility, crisp graphics) but has the upper hand in terms of power consumption. All things considered, Samsung’s LCD technology is more structurally impressive than its Apple competition.

So why aren’t more mobile phone companies trading in their LCDs for Super AMOLED technology? Well they would. Even Apple would have gone for it if not for its Achilles heel. The number of Super AMOLED screens produced may be enough for Samsung’s mobile phone line, however, it is quite hard to come by for other mobile phone makers considering its low rate of production.

Well, it was hard to come by. Samsung has announced that their breath taking Super AMOLED display, as seen on their sweet Galaxy S, is on its way to being mass produced. Next year, expect more mobile phone devices to carry Samsung’s display because the Korean electronics maker has announced their ongoing construction of a Super AMOLED (5.5 generation) plant in Tangjung, South Korea. They are scheduled to commence with production this year and have promised a significant boost in their product output.

The numbers look promising. Per month, 70,000 sheets in a 1300 x 1500 mm size can be produced in the new plant. That is a total of 30 million mobile phone displays produced every month, provided that they are kept down to 3 inches in size.

Samsung has other plans for their Super AMOLED displays though. They are thinking more along the lines of 4 inch displays like those installed on the Galaxy S. They are even thinking of using the technology for their HDTV lines. Just think, 42 inch Super AMOLED in your living Room.

Hands On: the Samsung Galaxy S

Liam — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:53:05 +0000

There is no doubt that of all of Samsung’s currently offered items on the market, the Galaxy S Android smart phone is the most technically impressive. From the core processor to the display, everything about this handset is showing the world the best that the Korean manufacturer can offer, and we are no doubt impressed.

As one would expect, it all starts with the operating system. The Samsung Galaxy S runs the Google Android OS version 2.1 Éclair (all Galaxy smart phones use the Android OS) and it has been announced that an update to version 2.2 Froyo will soon be available. Many are anticipating the release of version 2.2 as this version brings a faster version of the OS, smoother web browsing and support for Adobe Flash. As expected, the Android has plenty of Google made features such as Google Mail, Chat, Maps, Goggles (the augmented reality tool) and more.

The handset itself is an excellent match for the Android operating system. The 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU provides enough speed and power to run any application without fear of long load times or slowdowns. The phone is fast and responsive, and the TouchWiz user interface is intuitive and easy to use.

Speaking of the interface, the 4 inch super AMOLED capacitive touch screen display provides very high quality images. With its rich, deep colors, other mobile phones will have a hard time competing with the visual quality that Samsung is able to deliver.

The device also comes with a 5 mega pixel camera, it is complete with autofocus, LED flash, geo tagging, and even has face and smile detection software. Users will enjoy the 720p video recording capabilities of the smart phone. With at least 8 GB of storage, users will not need to worry about space. The phone also supports microSD cards up to 32GB for extra storage space.

Samsung’s Galaxy Series of Handsets Gets New Entries

Liam — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:33:01 +0000

There are plenty of Android smart phones on the market and while most of Google’s fans would recommend either the Nexus One or an HTC handset, there are several Android smart phones from other manufacturers that are also worth checking out. Among these is the Galaxy series from Korean manufacturer Samsung.

Starting out last year with two devices, the i7500 Galaxy and the Galaxy Lite, the series later moved on to more high end devices and now offers quite the extensive list of choices for almost any smart phone user.

From the bottom up, the series’ least impressive handset –but also has the potential for the cheapest price, is the Samsung i5500 Galaxy Corby. This mix Corby and Galaxy handset is exactly what one would expect, and Android smart phone aimed for younger users with its low prices and minimum features.

For the mid range market, there is the i5800 Galaxy 3 (which, according to various sources, is also the i5801 Galaxy Apollo which appeared in the Orange UK website). This handset brings together a 3.2 inch touch screen display, a 3.2 mega pixel camera and the Android OS.

Moving up the tech ladder is the i9000 Galaxy S and the rumored Galaxy S Pro. These 1GHz CPU powered smart phones are almost on top of the Galaxy food chain with their impressive hardware and 4 inch super AMOLED touch screen displays. It is said that the Galaxy S Pro comes with a QWERTY keyboard.

Last on the list, and the biggest device of all is the Samsung Galaxy Tape. For its sheer size alone, we are pretty much tempted to call this a tablet more than a mobile phone. This device comes with a massive 7 inch super AMOLED capacitive touch screen display, a front facing camera, the new Android 2.2 Froyo with Flash support and is rumored to sport a 1.2GHz CPU.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tape Brings Size, Power and Flash

Liam — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:49:02 +0000

When the Apple iPad was launched, many experts advised the ever eager public to wait for the first Android tablets that would be hitting store shelves. And while Google has not directly confirmed that they would have a device ready soon, many heeded the advice and have endured the start of what can only be considered as an indefinite wait.

Now, it seems that everyone who has been holding off for a tablet device need not worry for much longer; Samsung has just confirmed that they will be launching an Android tablet in Korea this August, and a worldwide launch is not too far away. The news comes not only as a big break for many, but also as a cause for celebration among Android fans, the tablet will come packed complete with all the great features and hardware that is even better than the iPad’s. Best of all, the device is still considered to be a mobile phone –yes, it allows users to make and receive calls too.

The Samsung Galaxy Tape is considered to be the first of a series of tablet hybrid devices from the Korean manufacturer. No details have been given as to what the other tablets might be though, as it was only hinted that other screen size variations will be available.

The Galaxy Tape comes with a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, a front facing camera for video calls, a 7 inch super AMOLED capacitive touch screen display and the new Android 2.2 Froyo. It may have a smaller screen than the iPad, but the 1024 x 600 resolution can match the bigger device easily (and as seen with Asus’ Eee PC netbooks, the resolution is also great for browsing the web). With Flash support, a faster CPU, better screen quality and Android’s Froyo OS, the Galaxy Tape is certainly one tablet device to look out for.

Samsung New Galaxy Android Devices

Liam — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:17:21 +0000

There are a couple of new Samsung Galaxy smart phones that are coming and they are equally impressive –though we are inclined to prefer one over the other, and that would have to be the tablet hybrid.

News broke out last week after the Samsung Galaxy Tab was shown onscreen. What was most surprising about this phone is the super large touch screen it has –a full 7 inches. While we are inclined to label this as a tablet (it is named Galaxy Tab after all), the fact that it allows users to make and receive calls still places it more as an Android phone than an Android tablet –despite the fact that no one would be referring to such a large gadget as a mobile phone.

Anyway, aside from the very large touch screen that was seen on the device, it still runs the same old Android operating system that the mobile phone industry has come to know and love. And Samsung has also given out feelers that this will not be the only semi-tablet gadget that they will have –or at least, the only Galaxy Tab version, we are certainly expecting to see the Tab come in other size variants, such as a 5 inch and 9 inch variations.

The other Galaxy handset that comes from Samsung is the new i5801 Apollo. The new handset was not shown off at the expo last week, but on a preview at the Orange Mobile UK official website. The network operator is giving the world a teaser that shows off the new Android handset. It comes with a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen display, a 3 mega pixel camera and of course, the 2.1 Éclair operating system. So far, no details have been given as to what processor will be used in the device, though our estimates would be a 600 to 700MHz CPU.